"Let's hear the intel before we discuss other matters," Feng Mo said seriously, putting aside his playful demeanor.
Chu Yun Jian rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Money-minded as always," before taking on a more solemn expression.
"Have you heard of the Qiao family from the Tianqi Empire?" she asked.
Feng Mo's brows knitted together. He pondered for a moment before tentatively replying, "You mean the Qiao family of Grand Marshal Qiao, who is also a duke of Tianqi?"
"Exactly," Chu Yun Jian replied, taking a sip of her tea. "The Qiao and Yue families have a longstanding feud. Ever since the news spread about the four families joining forces to establish a starship trade company, the Qiao family has been making moves."
Her words carried an ominous undertone.
"The Qiao family is a formidable power," Feng Mo remarked, "but would they really target a mere viscount like me?"
"Not directly," Chu Yun Jian explained. "To them, you're just a slightly bigger ant. As long as you don't design T5 starships, you're safe. Anything below T5 is beneath their notice. However, their subordinate families might create some trouble for you to curry favor with the Qiao family."
Feng Mo understood immediately. There had always been people eager to gain favor with the powerful, often taking it upon themselves to act on behalf of their superiors. And if things went wrong, those same people would be left to take the fall. It was a common occurrence throughout history—social advancement often came with bloodshed.
"I'm telling you this so you stay vigilant," Chu Yun Jian concluded. "Should anything happen, remember that the Yue family of Tianqi and the Chu family of Huixiao will back you up."
"One last thing," she added, "when will you release the T3 starship blueprints for company production and sale?"
Feng Mo knew that both the Yue and Chu families would support him, but he wanted to build his strength first. The reason he had kept the T3 blueprints from the market was to prevent a coalition of starship engineers from reverse-engineering and exploiting his designs.
"Once the Storm Fleet possesses T4 starships, I'll release a set of T3 blueprints for company use. I'm sure you understand the reasoning," Feng Mo replied.
Chu Yun Jian nodded slowly. "As long as you remain a stakeholder in the company and release all obsolete designs for sale, both the Yue and Chu families will stand by you. That's a promise from Yue Xiaomeng and me, as well as from our entire families. With that said, I've finished my business here. I'll be taking my leave."
Draining her tea, Chu Yun Jian rose and departed. Feng Mo made no effort to hold her back; she was not someone to be trifled with, and he had no intention of trying to conquer her heart. He treated her purely as a business partner.
---
The next morning, Feng Mo met with a steward from the Yue Trading Company. The steward had brought the T3 planetary defense system that Feng Mo desperately needed, complete with ground-to-air missiles, laser cannons, and an integrated smart defense network. The steward also cautioned Feng Mo, echoing Chu Yun Jian's warning about potential troublemakers.
Once the steward had left, Feng Mo called for a meeting.
"Hua Qin, you'll command Destroyer One with two T2 Black Bear ships to stay behind and defend Storm Star. With the T3 planetary defense system in place, even a surprise attack from the Flame Raiders will be repelled."
"The Storm Fleet will set out tomorrow," he announced, "destination: the asteroid belt."
---
"Commander, we're approaching the asteroid belt. Even at this distance, our fleet's radar is already unstable. I suggest activating the tow beams to link our ships and prevent them from getting separated," Ai Er reported from behind him.
"Do it," Feng Mo ordered. "All ships, activate tow beams and link up."
He couldn't help but recall a historical story from his past life, where ships were chained together to form an unbreakable line. In the Battle of Red Cliff, it had been their downfall. Yet here he was, chaining his own fleet together, albeit under very different circumstances.
As they ventured deeper into the asteroid belt, the radar systems grew more unreliable. Automatic targeting was rendered useless, as any shots fired without careful aiming would likely go astray. Fortunately, Feng Mo had prepared for this, equipping the fleet with old-fashioned tools like star-range finders and telescopes. With his high luck attribute, these archaic methods would suffice, almost as well as functioning radar.
The Flame Raiders had chosen this area precisely because of the fluctuating magnetic fields, which made high-tech targeting difficult. Their crew, well-trained in manual targeting, would have a significant advantage. But Feng Mo had a unique talent that they hadn't accounted for.
Using the star chart provided by Chu Yun Jian, the Storm Fleet slowly navigated forward. Warp travel was out of the question; they had to rely on sublight speed. This was also why Feng Mo had left the T3 Copper Hammer behind—it was simply too slow.
"Commander, enemy ships sighted ahead!" reported a crew member, rising from his station.
Feng Mo approached the command console and saw a cluster of light points in the distance. As they drew closer, the enemy ships came into full view.
"One heavily modified T3 battleship, three T3 Peregrine-class destroyers, and over a hundred T2 ships, mostly escort ships," Ai Er reported. "They're not to be underestimated."
"Don't get complacent," Feng Mo warned. "Even hyenas can challenge a lion if there are enough of them."
Coming from anyone else, Ai Er would have dismissed the statement. But since it was Feng Mo, she listened intently, immediately shifting into serious mode. "Storm Fleet, prepare for battle formation," she ordered.
The fleet adjusted its formation. The outer layer consisted of escort ships, the second layer was made up of destroyers, and the battleships remained in the center, ready to provide support.
Just then, the magnetic field stabilized, and an incoming communication request appeared.
"Put it through!" Feng Mo commanded.
A holographic image flickered to life, revealing a brutish man with a scarred face—the Flame Raiders' leader.
"Who are you?" the pirate leader snarled, his features twisting with rage.
"Who I am is none of your concern," Feng Mo replied nonchalantly. "If you have something to say, make it quick. Otherwise, prepare to meet your end."
"I just want to know which faction you belong to," the pirate leader growled. "Turn back now, and I'll let bygones be bygones. This magnetic field is under my control. With your radar systems useless, how do you plan to fight me?"
Feng Mo snorted in disdain. "You think I came unprepared? Enough talk. You should be grateful I'll be taking that treasure off your hands."
With that, he ended the call. Feng Mo's eyes gleamed with excitement. A device that could control magnetic fields? Such a treasure was wasted on a bandit and was destined to be his.
Ai Er sighed and rolled her eyes. The commander had his quirks, especially his miserly tendencies, but this was one of the reasons she found him so amusing.
Sitting upright in the captain's chair, Feng Mo's demeanor grew intense, like a hawk about
to strike.
"Ai Er, let's begin the hunt," he declared. "I'm taking back what's mine!"